Basketball: Breakers' run comes to an end

The Wildcats are the only team to have beaten the Breakers this season. Photo / Getty Images

The Breakers have been brought back down to Earth with a thud, thrashed 89-64 by the Wildcats in Perth overnight (NZT).

It was the second heavy defeat this season to their arch-rivals after Perth thumped them in the opening game at the North Shore Events Centre and they drop to second on the table behind Wollongong. It also gives Perth a crucial 2-0 lead in the head-to-head battle should home court advantage come down to a countback.

Most pundits still expect a Breakers-Perth grand final series but the nature of the Breakers' two defeats to Perth will be a concern. Both have been by more than 20 points and the Wildcats have played with more commitment, intensity and effectiveness.

Perth held a narrow 28-27 lead at the first break but were dominant in the second and third quarters, holding the Breakers to just 16 points and out-rebounding the visitors 41-23, and they looked a much-improved outfit from the one that had lost their last three.

It helped with 11,086 fans watching them in their new arena and Shawn Redhage scored 20 points, Kevin Lisch added 18 points and six rebounds and co-captain Brad Robbins was instrumental early to finish with 11 points and five assists.